Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Patel Nagar MLA and Delhi Cabinet minister Raaj Kumar Anand announced his resignation from the primary membership of the party on Wednesday, citing what he described as a party “mired in the quicksand of graft”.
Speaking at a press conference after submitting his resignation to party general secretary Sandeep Pathak, Raaj Kumar Anand expressed his disappointment, stating, “I had entered politics when Arvind Kejriwal had said that if its politics changes, the country will change. But today, I say with much regret, that politics did not change but political leaders did. The AAP was born out of a movement against corruption, but today this party is mired in the same quicksand of graft.”
Accusing the AAP of neglecting the respect due to Dalits and individuals from backward communities within the party’s organization, Raaj Kumar Anand criticized the party’s failure to adhere to the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar. He highlighted the lack of representation of Dalits and individuals from backward communities among the party’s MPs.
Raaj Kumar Anand emphasized his decision to resign from both the party and his ministerial post, stating, “It has become impossible for me to continue working as part of this government. I tender my resignation from this party, this government and the post of its minister because I do not want my name to be added in such corrupt actions. I do not believe that we have the moral right to continue in government any longer.”
Anand’s resignation coincides with Chief Minister Kejriwal’s judicial custody in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
Additionally, Raaj Kumar Anand is currently under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in an alleged money laundering case related to unaccounted hawala payments sent to China in 2023.
The ED had conducted searches at 13 locations, including Anand’s premises, and recovered evidence of unaccounted business investments and hawala payments to China, among other findings.
An ED spokesperson clarified, “The ED initiated the investigation on the basis of a prosecution complaint filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence against Anand and other connected persons/entities for commission of offences under various sections of the Customs Act.”
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